WBWB | Chapter 3

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just die here?’3729ce417a8f0b29

At that time, 60d9fb8ed1 my spirit was ab1d29ad11 as weak as 0bba8d3902 my dying body.6283cef54a299031

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‘Just like this… so naturally…’9796e8e8349b3a1c

I was a member d54080ed20 of the aristocratic world, fad2b93c4e even if only in cf1896b428 name, and now I 1bfe211ae9 was suddenly reduced to 2861a3902d an exile. My future 71065468ad was bleak, 0ab2a4b42d and living 8de9ccf87d was more b9b601c325 frightening than d8da625737 dying.bf91a18e2707bb35

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‘If only I could die.’29264e9fdfabdc90

Wouldn’t it be better to just die?a69cb0ad40b85670

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As I thought this, aa6c769aae the wet towel placed 5ba67934e3 on my forehead kept 069d7a5195 getting warmer, and my f67cba14b2 consciousness flickered on and 421523f891 off. Unidentifiable voices chattered 119c1746cc and faded around 91c6695fc2 my ears.b0c630c30b3d48e1

After an unknown amount of time, a powerful, deep voice, different from the ones I’d been hearing, echoed from above.d0ebcf0337d6700a

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“The exile was due over a month ago. What’s going on here?”a7ea3d373c88918a

It was an unfamiliar man’s voice.9bde70ee9620fcc4

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“And why is this woman dying? Was she tortured before arriving here?”43a2d2ce9cb4e9ce

The voice was surprisingly 40877f3a2e resolute and powerful, enough 6d3ecbfd83 to momentarily hold onto 5331972435 my consciousness, which wavered 442b46d1b7 like a dying candle, f8ed4a0eb4 briefly brightening and fading 1f6d447ba8 again.5b775442d6ad21dd

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“Did they plan to blame the barbarians again if she died here after being tortured just enough to survive exile? That we’re still uncivilized and treat exiles cruelly and unfairly?”ba643b144b978735

A seemingly apologetic reply from the escort officer followed, though I couldn’t understand it. I was curious who the owner of the unfamiliar voice was, but I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes even when I tried to. Mustering my last bit of energy, I strained my ears.d933baadce6db41f

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“So, she’s in this state simply from arriving here, without even being tortured? Even after Young Master Mael… lent his own steed?”88b82659d166a321

Then, with baac4c023f a voice 5830a577d9 laced with 0a43301df2 incomprehension, my 525d66f263 body was 5a374aae88 suddenly lifted.d3279eff442a979e

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“I’ll take charge of her now.”291c0caf319846cc

Held like a ba3e798331 rope in strong, 1f4ef491a8 muscular arms.845cfb0209ef4e4a

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* * *6c2e7607e75a4704

When I opened 800d38f204 my eyes, the 48c6a7b53e dazzling ceiling fresco, 0509a6930e so ornate that 88d91ed6d0 it almost hurt 6e77d62e0b to look at, 51a0360a42 was nowhere to cfe7172d3d be seen. Instead, a rounded e30239800c ceiling with exposed c7287abd7e stone came into 44beaebf51 view. This was 614b4a275e not the 672e4b67fa architectural style cd8b500d4c I was 17d6b05c33 accustomed to cfb7a600a8 in the 59565b4e34 palace.25bd83a6cb571016

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That’s right.6df125bd2476d6b6

This wasn’t the royal palace.fcd8fdc34488aeae

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“Ugh…”33c8e6f684523bfb

The moment I 10551628eb tried to lift 818d65486d my upper body, c367bf200a a groan escaped 66a78d1434 my lips, and 4e0f1a9ec6 I had no e97e0c2f4c choice but to e4790e5b2b collapse back down. My body b70c5598bb had grown 5ca09a9a39 so weak 1c2c0fcad9 from illness 4aa4e92bf1 that even 52301b87ba the slightest bba877e912 movement was be4d16a3ef a struggle.963ac513e3549a21

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‘I’m still alive.’585df8daee394007

But I was 3485c88489 alive, in this 8ba501ff5c unfamiliar place.cd98ada4fa460ad4

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My senses gradually returned, 14d0218949 and I felt a 3e51103e49 remarkably soft touch against 1d4374ccb9 my back. Turning my head 82a8c58e82 and running my 8c821f59c8 hand over it, 485942d5b9 I found a 35883a0dba smooth, unstained cloth. Not the hard e0cfe1ad9b plank bed and 894ffd3512 damp, dirty cloth 8bb8b1ed9b I had become f57c0c68bc accustomed to that 78b562f25f had felt as 9912714f56 if they would cb0a96829e break my back, e8340ea098 but a soft fc3fffef77 mattress covered in fbd2035789 fresh, clean sheets.6a9e5eecfae41d96

‘Where am I?’cf506a8462652772

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As I slowly looked around, I became bewildered. Looking beneath the bed, I was met with a thick layer of smoke so dense that I couldn’t see the floor. The smoke slowly slithered upward, creeping towards the bed.11ba025597abe27c

Startled, I jumped off ba0502b660 the bed. The chilling d2daca8573 touch of 1f9f07d329 the stone 3447c6c266 floor reached 9d7d195068 my bare 9ff655d6fe feet, along 5a476f4cef with a 11ba27b11f stinging pain e1c846f1ed in my 720d853d05 inner thighs.7bee0ad65e3a60be

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Engulfed in 8403e880f4 a thick 9b6907ab17 smoke that 6a09481f89 obscured everything 7af00493c9 around me, cb7b9b6743 I instinctively 749f7c3f3e covered my 7f34a3e4f1 nose and 207b82a490 mouth with 59fea1ea12 my hands 241a0c0f66 and stumbled e0c8245bd3 out of ffc4a7345a the room e84399b84b in a 1963b9b50e panic.37935f7bc88c2e03

“You’re awake.”7745c3e511c6fca7

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Opening the 85ba19c533 door revealed 1f9137db7e a hallway, 9c69553d3a which was e87d30119b also shrouded 19107688f4 in thick e99e113ca3 smoke.7b4be6d76737752f

At that moment, a man came out, parting the smoke like a curtain. He was a large man, someone I might have mistaken for a bear if I had seen him in the forest. Frightened, I clung to him, even though I didn’t know who he was.e757bbfa3a81cb6f

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“There’s a fire! We have to get out of here!”10f9de48331817a6

“This is fog.”4bcb04a5e130d806

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A blunt 9ef084e1e0 reply came.3df3c4aabb19d9ff

“I don’t know about Franc, but this place is often covered in fog.”3941f32caaab6df5

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‘Fog?’24300841dd95fd3e

Now that he mentioned it, the smoke wasn’t acrid or hot. Rather, it was damp and cold.edf46adb993f754b

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‘Oh my…’c14e46e54a531a00

Realizing the 798a2967a5 situation, I 0c2e21fb51 blushed. The man 7d44adc40d looked down a7a21c1341 at me, 97ddc9c166 his expression 29947e3aa1 unreadable.7deb4975d7a4cba8

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“Will you let go now?”16361eb4524958f9

“I apologize.”40344756d814aafe

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Releasing my grip from 76f69ae567 both hands and stepping 1c8d18d296 back, I finally got 7d1b5f7dcf a good look at 7fc568fb95 him. e87c4b1e73a02de7

He was at least b16f570df9 a head taller than 99b160e438 the men of the 4f36d9693a South, with broad shoulders 04b2298a43 and long arms and 083fc3d3de legs, his head seeming 98525ff159 almost too small in 1809d6774e comparison, making him appear 28473d5283 almost unreal. Black hair, pale d34193c7aa skin, and piercing abb8d28ed9 green eyes that 1e7d2a0d07 gleamed like those 1bca695a31 of a serpent.37c3823f10a39c9a

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Most of the noblemen I had seen in the royal palace had blond hair and flaunted a peacock-like extravagance, changing their lace-trimmed clothes several times a day. However, this man seemed like a different species altogether. It wasn’t just his extremely simple attire, which was a white tunic that reached his knees and trousers.d685595e62ba4645

‘He doesn’t seem… human.’64159d0692a66b58

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If one looked closely 7aecc1f8f4 at his well-defined features, 3ce11d55ef one might call him d8c5020bef handsome, but I felt 35f2f9f889 no attraction towards him. To begin with, he f92d09fe6f seemed like an entirely 0a0ec7944a different species. A soft smile would d7359a9694 have made him look acd7ffbcb3 much more handsome, but 9905cc9247 his eyes were cold ea4adcd8fa as ice, and his c4d9d5cb56 gaze reminded me of 72658978f3 a fierce wolf assessing afec0d7fff its prey.b6186dbac21240d8

By the 2ee411d193 time I 6efaae12b7 reached that 1cfc7a4050 thought, I fdfccf14c4 realized I 1760257684 had been 3bb8169aba staring at 3618f4029f him for 50a70578d7 too long. And he, too, had 1bf9f45ef7 been watching me just fd82a65ae6 as intently. Blushing, I 77b9634cb0 lowered my bd9652a11d head and b266c9bf1a curtsied.5f0b4613d7c747b6

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“I am Jeanne de cc4a689f4f Toulouse.”a947bf7cb4038b77

“Baldr de Skadi.”5a23876e915e0dc1

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‘De Skadi? So he’s…’637b1f217155150b

The ‘Duke of Skadi’ himself. I was overwhelmed with fear at this unexpected encounter.eb9bda9a591bd93e

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‘What should I say? Should I explain why I’m here? That I was falsely accused? But would he even believe me even if I told him?’4792dbc31a828c8e

Consumed by the 3c0abe07be fear of facing 5859fdada2 a member of 279a229cb1 the Skadi family 16fd3e9eec for the first e9678d8782 time, I remained 225242634d silent for a ae7dda2d54 while. Finally, unable to 7ff741030d bear the silence 9c39a943ef any longer, a 8b4935fb6b strained, nervous voice 4d2f1f32b7 escaped my lips.413d51de33fa6dea

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“I…”b89fff0e78a62244

“I know about you already. From now on, I am your master.”2943e066257e8475

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“…”71ca40fc4cfb4f64

I flinched, and 0bc0036ba5 he slightly corrected 64a7540b77 himself.abfe1f320990e871

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“Your ‘guarantor’, that is.”a614ddce0dd28af6

A guarantor was someone 44496f3a6d responsible for providing lodging 2e622e8792 and food for exiled 50ff00f0be criminals, ensuring their survival, bc4a062ed7 and sharing the blame dbc4a52ef0 if the exile escaped. 6ecc064791c8454e

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Yes, he e9fb1abe21 was my ecede3921f jailer, here 61fb7599b7 to prevent e3638253d6 my escape.1e86d908cbed868b

“It’s been a long 6c57bc642e time since you were bc2592217b supposed to arrive, but 3bcf501010 there was no news, c0b26f30d3 so I thought you 57a73f2f6e had escaped. Or perhaps killed aa6eb721e6 by wild animals. But upon 4c17e90152 searching, I 858f2b6e2b found you 5fc6147beb on the 6d34ccbcfd brink of e8ea0289fc death at 0bd84456b5 an inn 679db3db0d at the 55bf04a65a edge of b7b7dfb79f my territory. If I had 9bfd917ecd waited for you f7e4bdcfa6 to recover there, 8690acebce you would have a8e0d886c4 died, so I c92c49d501 personally brought you 7421d0602f here.”694a3eafab231b22

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That’s why I was here when I woke up.d7e09425c0cde87e

“Before your arrival, I received a letter from the King’s illegitimate son, whom I’ve never met. He meticulously explained that you were falsely accused and pleaded for your safety.”17975a74704c1919

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I could feel the thorns embedded in the end of his words. In fact, he wasn’t even trying to hide his sarcasm.817edd4a48b30fb7

“I would like to have dinner with you. What do you think?”01b73b66800a0b39

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‘Dinner?’32c91a204999f281

I had 5594473bc6 no appetite 1877cc8887 at all, ccaaa7873e but I c0fdedce00 nodded.a3fcec3db2f9b118

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“Then I’ll be going. Get some rest.”9b2dbeb51a53f7f5

And he disappeared, 26d50322a3 like the fog 1f05959a9f that had rolled 34e89df86b in and now 086c2f594a receded as if 4fcaeadbe8 it had never a19f2d13ea been there.d16e943d084ec821

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* * *a6fdbd9665c50431

‘What just happened?’4893ed95a4a614e2

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After he left, I d61084fe81 stumbled back into the 6a02ed9249 room, feeling dizzy, and d230b0f163 collapsed onto the bed.abd08a776ae107b4

A moment later, 3f9ae91b2b a young-looking maid aa5352bd7b entered with a b16c9977f3 tray of food.5495a87139faf7c9

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“I brought you something to eat.”e8f4b1934fb45149

What she brought was stew. It was a mixture of various unidentified scraps of meat and vegetables, very similar to the “eternal stew” I had eaten at the shabby inns before arriving here. The kind of stew that never seemed to diminish because they kept adding ingredients and broth to the pot. It looked disgusting, but I wasn’t in a position to complain about the food in my place of exile.1eec791fc7ba3d75

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‘I have to eat, regardless.’202dbca0f8316883

The aftereffects of fc6719ce01 not eating properly 40bb852821 while I was 3bbac52643 ill had suppressed 31dbd0458d my appetite, but 1caa39a319 I forced myself d04660fc29 to swallow the 15c58661e0 food, thinking I f8ad0bc5d8 needed to regain db040623d2 my strength. Then the 82692d0aa5 maid spoke.65d2e93e0c230b58

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“Shall I prepare a bath for you?”4bb820aa48995a8e

“Would you?”c4c418f232cb8c7e

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A few hours later, a096163582 the maid brought bathwater eb0b79a4b7 and filled a small a009b1fc83 bathtub in the bathroom. I sat 7b390b6d1c in it 1bbe9837f7 and scrubbed e6d5b919d1 myself repeatedly, 33eb030ae9 using all dd40cd510e my strength.30e61d1598f98fdc

‘Did I 09a3ac7359 really meet a6d4a0a7bf His Grace 61a413e959 the Duke e2d6bf0162 in this a9189f6ec5 filthy state?’d273a9e89945f2fd

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Looking at the 1c517b79b8 dirty water flowing 07a7896486 out, I was 687d9c2031 appalled.b9d83b4b434e4f52